Journal List > Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis > v.21(1) > 1033150

Yong and Jeong: Review on Ecology of House Dust Mites in Korea and Suggestion of a Standard Survey Method

Abstract

A large number of house dust mites live in homes worldwide and produce the most important allergens which cause allergic diseases to the genetically predisposed individuals perennially. Herewith, the literatures published on the survey of dust mites in Korea were reviewed. In most studies, mites were isolated and investigated from the house dust samples collected by using household vacuum cleaners. Among more than 30 species of house dust mites recorded in Korea, Dermatophagoides farinae was found to be the most predominant species in homes, followed by D. pteronyssinus. House dust mites were most frequently encountered in dust from bedding samples followed by kitchen samples, in which Tyrophagus putrescentiae, a storage mite species, was the most frequently found species. The highest mite density and allergen concentration were shown in autumn. It would be useful if the standard method for the investigation of dust mite density is established for the field survey. Measuring the number of mites per unit area (1 m2) collected in a given time (2 minutes) using a house-hold vacuum cleaners equiped with nonwovens is suggested here as an objective and convenient method for the survey on house dust mites. Mites can be detected directly from fine dust samples using a stereomicroscope or isolated by technique utilizing saturated salt water. In the future, more field surveys and laboratory studies are necessary for the investigation on the relationship between house dust mites in homes and various allergic diseases.

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Fig. 1.
Flow chart of a standard method for the field survey on house dust mites indoors.
pard-21-4f1.tif
Table 1.
Characteristics of House Dust Mite Allergens
Group Biochemical identity Molecular weight (kDa) Allergen Species
1 Cysteine protease 25 Der p 1 D. pteronyssinus
      Der f 1 D. farinae
      Blo t 1 B. tropicalis
      Pso o 1 Psoroptes ovis
2 Niemann-Pick C2 homologue 14 Der p 2 D. pteronyssinus
      Der f 2 D. farinae
      Blo t 2 B. tropicalis
      Tyr p 2 T. putrescentiae
      Lep d 2 Lepidoglyphus destructor
      Gly d 2 Glycyphagus domesticus
      Aca s 2 Acarus siro
      Sui m 2 Suidasia medanensis
      Pso o 2 P. ovis
3 Trypsin 25 Der p 3 D. pteronyssinus
      Der f 3 D. farinae
      Der s 3 D. siboney
      Blo t 3 B. tropicalis
      Tyr p 3 T. putrescentiae
      Eur m 3 Euroglyphus maynei
      Lep d 3 L. destructor
      Gly d 3 G. domesticus
      Sar s 3 Sarcoptes scabiei
4 α-amylase 56 Der p 4 D. pteronyssinus
      Blo t 4 B. tropicalis
5 Unknown 15 Der p 5 D. pteronyssinus
      Blo t 5 B. tropicalis
      Lep d 5 L. destructor
      Gly d 5 G. domesticus
6 Chymotrypsin 25 Der p 6 D. pteronyssinus
      Der f 6 D. farinae
7 Unknown 24 Der p 7 D. pteronyssinus
      Der f 7 D. farinae
      Lep d 7 L. destructor
      Gly d 7 G. domesticus
8 Glutathione S-transferase 26 Der p 8 D. pteronyssinus
      Lep d 8 L. destructor
      Gly d 8 G. domesticus
9 Collagenolytic serine protease 29 Der p 9 D. pteronyssinus
10 Tropomyosin 35 Der p 10 D. pteronyssinus
      Der f 10 D. farinae
      Blo t 10 B. tropicalis
      Tyr p 10 T. putrescentiae
      Lep d 10 L. destructor
      Gly d 10 G. domesticus
      Cho a 10 Chortoglyphus arcuatus
      Pso o 10 P. ovis
11 Paramyosin 100 Der p 11 D. pteronyssinus
      Der f 11 D. farinae
      Blo t 11 B. tropicalis
      Pso o 11 P. ovis
      Sar s 11 S. scabiei
12 Unknown 14 Blo t 12 B. tropicalis
      Lep d 12 L. destructor
13 Fatty acid binding protein 15 Blo t 13 B. tropicalis
      Tyr p 13 T. putrescentiae
      Lep d 13 L. destructor
      Gly d 13 G. domesticus
      Aca s 13 A. siro
14 Vitellogenin-apolipophorin like e 177 Der p 14 D. pteronyssinus
      Der f 14 D. farinae
      Pso o 14 P. ovis
15 Chitinase 63 Der f 15 D. farinae
16 Gelsolin 55 Der f 16 D. farinae
17 Calcium binding EF protein 30 Der f 17 D. farinae
18 Chitinase-like 60 Der f 18 D. farinae
19 Antimicrobial peptide 7 Blo t 19 B. tropicalis
20 Arginine kinase 20 Der p 20 D. pteronyssinus
21 Unknown   Der p 21 D. pteronyssinus
      Blo t 21 B. tropicalis
22 Unknown   Der p 22 D. pteronyssinus
23 Unknown 14 Der p 23 D. pteronyssinus
24 Troponin C 18 Tyr p 24 T. putrescentiae
  α-tubulin 51   L. destructor
        T. putrescentiae
  Heat shock protein 70 70   D. farinae
        B. tropicalis
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